1955 Cadillac Coupe De Ville - Decadent De Ville

Just the FactsYear: 1955Make: CadillacModel: Coupe De VilleOwner: John DenisonState: Maryland

When the '50s arrived it was easy to see the transition automotive designers at the Big Three were making with regard to their creative impressions. Shorter brush strokes became longer and more flowing, regardless of whether they were for base models or top-of-the-line luxury cruisers. A brand that emerged clearly benefitting from the design evolution was Cadillac. By the time the mid '50s hit their offerings were peaking, soon to be followed by the era of the tailfin. For many, the '55 Coupe De Ville was one of the finest, most flowing designs to come out of Detroit, oozing with elegance, curvaceous lines, and style.

There were some owners who elected to take their new Cadillac even further by bringing their freshly built acquisitions to custom shops to personalize them. A great design right off the production line, the '55 only needed minor mild custom touches to complete its look. For avid car collector John Denison of Fort Washington, Maryland, the challenge of creating a mild custom Cadillac was something he and his son, Josh, had discussed in great detail for a number of years. Their plan was to infuse plenty of today's technological advancements in suspension, brakes, comfort, and performance into the package to bring the original car to a whole new level. Imagine pulling out for a road trip across country with classic good looks, a killer stance, and cutting-edge performance to make the experience noteworthy.

2/8An immaculate body is accented by miles of chrome, giving plenty of sparkle to the car. A custom-fab'd exhaust exits in the stock location while Wilwood discs with matching four-piston calipers add plenty of stopping power.

Being longtime fans of the '55 Cadillac Coupe De Ville, the pair began a search for a suitable candidate. This eventually led them to an auction in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They wound up coming home with what appeared to be a fairly original car to get started with. While frequenting both local and national events, a number of cars built at The Hot Rod Garage in Denton, Maryland, caught their attention due to their detail, stance, and attitude. A meeting with shop owner Ray Bartlett to discuss the build style was a deciding factor in bringing the project to the shop. Once the car was unloaded, the staff began its disassembly, discovering many things along the way. Typical of cars of the era that were well-driven and used in all sorts of weather, it was hard to avoid deterioration of both body sheetmetal and mechanical components. The Caddy would face a number of challenges, none of which would deter the project.

Wanting to bring a whole new level of handling to the build, a call was placed to Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) for a fresh chassis to give the car a newfound balance. They started with one of their signature CAD-engineered spines especially for long wheelbase cars constructed with 4x4-inch steel main 'rails to eliminate the potential for chassis flex. To plant the power out back a 9-inch rear is filled with 3.73:1 gears and suspended in place by an AME triangulated four-bar suspension combined with matching antiroll bar and QA1 coilover shocks. At the front of the chassis C6 Corvette IFS components, including upper and lower control arms and spindles, were set in place along with an antiroll bar and QA1 coilover shocks. Precise steering works through a power rack-and-pinion unit. For braking, a Master Power Brakes power master cylinder pushes fluid through stainless lines to Wilwood drilled and vented 12-inch rear and 13-inch front discs wearing four-piston calipers. To give the car plenty of classic style as well and sharp [sense?] of handling, a set of custom 18-inch front and 20-inch rear Schott wheels wear BFGoodrich rubber.

3/8Nothing says power better than a Chevrolet Performance Ram Jet 502ci big-block V-8 strapped to the 'rails. Detailed and treated to a Billet Specialties Tru Trac system, customized Cadillac valve covers, and One-Off engine cover it has all the right elements.

Nothing brings seamless power to a car of this size like a big-block V-8. To add plenty of gusto to the mix a Chevrolet Performance 502ci Ram Jet crate engine was selected. The base was filled with top-of-the-line performance goods, including a forged steel crank and rods, forged aluminum pistons, and a hydraulic roller cam. Up top a set of oval port aluminum heads and a tunnel-ram–styled Ram Jet EFI system delivers the goods with a vengeance. Sparked to life by MSD, the spent gases dump through Sanderson headers to a 2-1/4-inch custom stainless exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers to add just the right tone. Pushing the power rearward, a warmed-over GM 700-R4 trans by Performance Automatic of Frederick, Maryland, links to a steel driveshaft.

After the body was completely stripped it revealed a history of past abuse and damage that needed to be addressed. Dean Alexander and his team got started by first fabricating new lower rear quarters and rocker panels. From there a new trunk pan along with inner wheelwells were added, followed by fresh body mounts. Custom fabrication followed starting with new front inner fender aprons, radiator support and filler panels, and a mild shave and fill of the body. From there Jason Lester set the gaps, tended to miles of sheetmetal finessing, bodywork, and laid down the final primer. After taking a minor break, the project was brought to One-Off Rod & Custom in Middletown, Delaware, where Larry Stewart and his talented staff began completing the fine details on the car in order to prepare it for paint. Stewart hand formed a unique one-off engine cover and continued on by adding additional accents under the hood. From there it was team member Dave Strong who filled his spray gun with PPG Dark Intensity Red metallic and laid down a decadent coating of vibe, bringing the sheetmetal to life. For accent PPG Cashmere metallic was added to the roof to give the car a level of added elegance. Once completed the project went into the final assembly stage while also being wired and having endless chrome bolted on fresh from the vats at N.E.L. Metal Restorations, in Philadelphia.

When it came down to designing a business office that would match the sum of the build it was obvious the level of detail would need to be stunning. Paul Atkins Interiors of Hanceville, Alabama, added yards of butter soft camel-toned leather in a stylish design, covering the factory seating while accenting it with complementing wool carpet. A Flaming River tilt steering column with column shifter navigates the course through a reworked '55 Chevy steering wheel while cool breezes flow through a Vintage Air system. All we can say is the balance of classic good looks and modern technology create the perfect combination of performance and dependability for when the De Ville cruises the local boulevards or prepares for long the haul.